Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-09-22
RATES OF SUBSCRIPTION.
AZTEC MUMMIEs.
Bodies Found IN n Cave eG the sierra
Madre Mountains.

Some few weeks ago, says the San
Francisco BaIletin, there was brough,
to this city collection of mummics.
which constitute one of the most re-
markablc scientific discoveries made
on the American continent. These
mummies differ from those discovered
in Egypt in remarkable degree, being
entirely nude, without wrappings, and
apparently not having been subjected
to any ombalming process. Exposure
to the air has no effect upon them, the
flesh having been dried in u hermeti-
cally sealed cavern until It Is Ike
parchment, and the weight of the
bodies is merely nominal.
Mr.. Docking. in whose possession
these specimens are az the present
time, tells romantic story regarding
their discovery. In one of the spurs
of the Sierra Madre mountains, rot
far from the banks Of the ella riYes
and almost on the boundary line be,
tween Arizona aud New Mexico, =
party Of American miners was search
ing for treasure which tradition says
is buried in these hills. A cavern was
one day discovered, Theoretically sealed
with cement which deiisd tho picks
of the party, and only after clipping
it of flake by fake was entrance gained
TO the cave. Lighted only by the fame
of blazing pine branch they traSorSed
q passage about thirty feet in length,
which ended in n room cut In the solid
rock. Here, instead of untold gold
and other treasure of Aztccs, they wers
startled to find a number Of human
bodies. looking more gastly than usual
in the pickering light Of the torches.
After recovering from their surprise,
preparations were made to remove the
remains, but the superstitious natives
OF the vicinity, believing that the
bodies were those Of their gods, object
ed to the proceedings, and it was only
with much diplomacy and occasional
skirmishes that they were finally con-
veyed to n flag station on the Southern
Pacific road and transported TO this
city, where they were placed in charge
of Mr.. Docking, who will keep them in
his residence, where they have been
viewed by large number of scientists
and physicians, rs well as by the vari-
Gus consuls OF foreign powers In this
city.
The most remarkable Of the mum
Der are those of % mother and child,
which when found were envoloped In
one shroud, portions of which arc still
to be seen covering the lower limbs Of
the mother.
Still another mummy is that OF wom-
an, her long hair being in state Of per-
feet preservation. The feet are small
and highly arched, while the fingers
are long ami tapering. Remnants Of
her shrOud still remaining is OF dark
blue color, differing both in this re-
spect and in texture from the material
of which the other shrouds were COM
posed.
Another remarkable specimen, hew-
ever, is that Of q man in sitting post
ure, the body being considerable
larger than any 1T the others. During
life his glrth Of chest must have been
much above the average, the whole
of the upper portion of the body hav-
ing seemingly been nodded In gigantic
The cartilages OF the
ears and nose are still plainly TO be
seen, while the head is covered with .
dense growth Of black hairii Tho eve
brows are well defined, while between
the glistening teeth protutles stlIe
tongue, now dried to AN almost cork
like consistency. ~ ~
The remaining muH.sSay is that Il q
ran. said by scisntists n have beer
comparatively young at the time Of
his death. Many speculations have
been made by those who have seen the
collection rs to his relation to the
female bodies reclining ON either side
Of him. Aud the different theories OF
brother and husband have many adj
vocates.
That the remains are those OF the
ancient Axtecs. members Of that civili-
sation which was destroyed In Mexico
~ the soldiers of Cortez, there can be
10 doubt The woman aud the smaller
nan present all the peculiar physical
coalitions attr nu ell Ia thspnce num-
erous people. The high cheek bones
and slanting eyes are there, the thick
skin and black hair are plainly , siblc
10 the eye, md the height of the
bodies, although thoy were fonnd more
DR. less doubled upon themselves, is es-
timated at about s feet and inches.
When this is taken into consideration,
with the fact that the Aztec spread
from about the 30th parallel
until they inhabited the high plateaus
II Mexico and Central America, there
,an be little doubt as to the race OF
which these mummies were once living
The specimens will be shipped east
N few days. and, in all probability.
will find rcsting-place in one Of the
principal museums Of Europe. Al
though Mr.. Docking has kindly shown
hem TO all scientists and historians
who have called upon him, they win
not be placed upon public exhibition